Vaporizing fitting for propane stove

ABSTRACT

A fitting for use with relatively flat and compact camping stoves and the like using bottled liquid propane for fuel. The fitting supports the fuel cylinder and holds it at an angle with the horizontal so that the liquid propane will settle at the bottom of the cylinder and propane vapors will rise to the top of the cylinder to be withdrawn therefrom to fuel the stove.

United States Patent Benson Feb. 22, 1972 [54] VAPORIZING FITTING FOR PROPANE 2,896,606 7/ 1959 Ross et al ..l26/38 STOVE 3,430,622 3/1969 Webster et al 126/38 [72] Inventor: Raymond E. Benson, Forest Park, Ill. Primary Emminer4hafles J. Myhre [73] Assignee: Olin Corporation Attorney-Donald R. Motsko, I-l. Samuel Kieser and William 221 Filed: Dec. 7, 1970 Y '{9PZ .-M W -.V e

[21] Appl. No.: 95,669 [57] ABSTRACT z? A fitting for use with relatively flat and compact camping [52] US. Cl "126/38, 126/44 Stoves and the like using bottled liquid propane for fueL The [5 1] Int. Cl. ..F24c 5/20 fitting supports the m cylinder and holds it at an angle with [58] Field of Search 126/38,.44, 9 the horizontal so that the i i propane will Settle at the tom of the cylinder and propane vapors will rise to the top of [56] References Cited the cylinder to be withdrawn therefrom to fuel the stove.

UNITED STATES PATENTS 4 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures 1,582,346 4 /1929 eg t; --:1 3/ 8j2 7 PAIENIEDFEB22 I972 SHEET 2 or 2 INVENTOR RAYMOND E. BENSON ATTORNEY VAPORIZING FITTING FOR PROPANE STOVE This invention concerns a fitting for connecting the burners of a camping stove, of the relatively flat and compact variety, to a cylinder of liquid propane fuel.

The recent rapid growth of outdoor camping as a recreational pastime for the family has caused the camping industry to reappraise designs of camping stoves, lanterns, and other paraphernalia used by campers with an eyetoward streamlining and improving the designs of such items so as to make them attractive to the purchasing housewife. Such items are also preferably designed with compactness as a primary objective so as to be easily stored and carried by the camper. Many camping devices, such as stoves, lanterns, heaters, and the like are fueled with propane which is marketed in a liquid form in pressurized cylindrical containers. The propane fuel thus marketed is liquefied gas with the ratio of gas volume to liquid volume being about 272 to l. A correct air-fuel mixture can be obtained either using the liquid or gaseous state of the fuel, but not interchangeably. A burner which is designed for use with vaporous propane flares up dangerously when fed the liquid fuel. Furthermore, burners adapted to use the vapor fuel are preferred in portable camping equipment because they are less expensive, lighter, and less bulky than liquid propane burners. The propane is withdrawn in its vapor state from the cylinder through a disconnectable valved conduit which generally is connected to a check valve or tire valve outlet fitted onto the top of the fuel cylinder. Inside of the fuel cylinder, the propane vapor rises to the most elevated portion of the cylinder. Thus in order to permit withdrawal of the vapor through the valved outlet, the cylinder must be positioned when in use with its top or outlet end being elevated with respect to its bottom.

With respect to the desirability of achieving compact and attractive design of camping devices, particularly camping stoves, great acceptance has been noted of a stove which is housed in a relatively flat case having a bottom part containing burners, fuel conduits, and a grill, or the like, and having a top part or lid hinged to the bottom part and pivotable with respect thereto to a position where the top can function as a partial windscreen for the burners. Such stoves have the general appearance, when closed, of a small suitcase or briefcase. They are easy to store, carry and set up, and present a very attractive appearance.

A problem has, however, developed with regard to the use of propane cylinders to fuel such stoves. As noted, the stoves are relatively flat, e.g., have a small vertical dimension, and the problem concerns the necessary elevation of the top or outlet end of the fuel cylinder with respect to its bottom when the cylinder is connected to the stove. It is apparent that the fitting or connection between the fuel conduit in the stove and the outlet in the cylinder will have to be substantially elevated with respect to the surface upon which the stove and fuel cylinder rest. Elevation of this connection has been achieved in the past by two methods. One method involves connecting the fuel cylinder and stove conduits with a flexible hose thus permitting the fuel cylinder to simply be positioned completely upright resting upon its bottom end wall, or permitting the fuel cylinder to be tilted and leaned against the stove. This general type of arrangement is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,080,861 to H. E. Amero, issued March 12, 1963. This arrangement is undesirable because of the durability of the flexible hose and its being subject to being damaged, and because of the somewhat elaborate mounting attachments needed to unify movement of the fuel cylinder and the stove so as to insure that the former does not topple from its top-elevated position. A second method of elevating the connection between the fuel conduits in the stove and the top of the fuel cylinder involves fitting the stove with legs which rest upon the supporting surface and elevate the stove with respect thereto. The legs are generally in the form of appropriately configured rods or heavy wire and are usually pivotally connected to the stove and foldable against the stove so as not to detract from the sleek and compact appearance of the stove when not in use. These legs have substantially increased the cost of the stoves, and have generally been found to be rickety or unstable, especially when something comparatively heavy is put on the stove to cook.

This invention permits the use of the broad bottom wall of the stove to be placed directly upon the supporting surface, thus providing very stable support for the stove, and at the same time permitting the fuel cylinder to be positioned so as to elevate the top of the fuel cylinder with respect to the bottom thereof, the latter of which rests on the supporting surface. This result is. achieved by providing a connecting member which is secured to the fuel conduits in the stove, or is merely an extension thereof, and which includes a portion extending in a direction away from the bottom wall of the stove case. The connecting member is rigid, and may be formed of plastic or metal, and terminates in a valved fitting adapted to be secured to the outlet of the fuel cylinder. Since the connecting member has a portion extending away from the bottom wall of the stove case, the valved fitting is elevated above the fuel conduits and burners in the stove, as is the top or outlet end of the fuel cylinder when the latter is connected to the fitting. The axis of the fitting is preferably tilted with respect to the horizontal so that the fuel cylinder, when connected to the fitting, is also tilted with respect to the horizontal, thereby permitting its bottom surface to rest upon the horizontal supporting surface. The rigidity of the connecting member pennits the full weight of the propane cylinder to be supported by the connector, thus eliminating expensive brackets, supports, or the like required by the use of flexible connectors.

It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide a connector for use with a relatively compact and relatively flat stove fueled with propane supplied from a propane cylinder, which connector serves to elevate the top or outlet end of the propane cylinder with respect to the bottom thereof while permitting the stove to rest upon a supporting surface on its bottom wall.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a stove and connector combination of the character described wherein the connector is a rigid member which has a terminal portion extending away from the bottom surface of the stove.

It is yet another object of this invention to provide a stove and connector combination of the character described wherein the connector fully supports the propane cylinder in a position which is tilted with respect to the horizontal plane.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will be more readily apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the invention and the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the stove and connector combination of this invention shown connected to and supporting a fuel cylinder;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the stove of FIG. 1 shown closed for storage or transporting;

FIG. 3 is a front view of a portion of the device of FIG. 1 showing the manner in which the connector extends away from the bottom wall of the stove, and showing how the connector supports the fuel cylinder; and

FIG. 4 is a side view of the apparatus of FIG. 1, showing how the connector and valved fitting retain the fuel cylinder at an angle to the horizontal, while disposing the bottom edge of the fuel cylinder in the same plane as the bottom wall of the stove so that both rest upon the supporting surface.

Referring now to the drawings, there is shown a portable camping stove 2 having a bottom shell-like portion 4 and a top shell-like portion 6 hinged to the bottom portion 4. The top 6 can be pivoted downwardly into overlying relationship with the bottom 4 and held in place by a latch 8. The height of the top and bottom parts 6 and 4 are each relatively small when compared to the length and width so that the closed stove presents a relatively flat and compact configuration, like a briefcase or small suitcase. One or more burners 10 are mounted in the bottom part 4 of the stove, and a tubular conduit 12 extends between the burners and through a sidewall of the bottom part 4 to terminate at a threaded fitting 14. A grill 11 may also be mounted on the bottom part 4 to support cookware, such as pots, pans, or the like. A generally L-shaped rigid, tubular connector 16 is screwed into the fitting 14, the connector 16 including a portion 18 which extends upwardly away from the basal wall 20 of the bottom portion 4, which wall 20 serves as a base upon which the stove rests on a supporting surface 22. The surface 22 can be a table, the ground, or any other relatively flat surface upon which the stove could be placed. It is noted that the portion 18 extends upwardly beyond the plane of the grill 11 and terminates in a housing 24 containing a conventional fluid flow control valve (not shown) which is opened and closed in a conventional manner by a control knob 26. The housing 24 includes conventional means (not shown) for opening a standard outlet check valve assembly normally included in a conventional propane cylinder 28 to which the housing 24 is secured. Thus the flow of gaseous fuel from the cylinder 28 through the connector 16 and to the burners 10 is controlled by manipulation of the valve knob 26.

It will be noted from FIG. 4 that the axis of the upwardly extending portion 18 of the connector 16 is preferably disposed at an acute angle to the vertical, and that the axis of the housing 24 is preferably disposed at an acute angle to the horizontal. Thus the axis of the cylinder 28 will be disposed at an angle to the horizontal with the outlet or top portion thereof being elevated with respect to the base thereof. The base of the cylinder 28 rests on the supporting surface, and the rigid connector 16 holds the outlet end of the cylinder 28 elevated well above the plane of the burners l and fuel conduit 12.

The horizontal portion of the connector 16 can serve as a mount for a spring clip 30 having resilient gripping jaws 32 which serve to hold a detachable windscreen 34 (shown in phantom in FIG. 1) in place on one side of the burners 10. Thus the windscreen 34 and top part 6 of the stove serve to protect the burners on two sides from gusts of wind when the stove is used outdoors.

It is thus readily apparent that the broad bottom wall of the stove case can be used as a base upon which the stovewill solidly rest, and by extending the connector upwardly and away from the base of the stove case, and constructing the connector from a rigid material, the connector will support and hold the fuel tank with its outlet and elevated above the burners of the stove so that gaseous propane can be withdrawn from the fuel cylinder through the connector and fed into the burners. Thus the outlet end of the fuel cylinder is elevated with respect to the base of the fuel cylinder when connected to a relatively flat portable stove without the use of legs on the stove, or a flexible coupling connecting the fuel cylinder to the stove, or complicated and expensive brackets which support the fuel cylinder.

Since many changes and variations of the disclosed embodiment of the invention may be made without departing from the inventive concept, it is not intended to limit the invention otherwise than as required by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A portable device having burner means adapted to burn a gaseous fuel, said burner means being mounted in a case having a bottom wall of relatively large area to provide a base upon which said device can be positioned upon a supporting surface, said burner means being elevated a relatively short distance above said bottom wall; conduit means connected to said burner means for feeding a supply of gaseous fuel to said burner means, said conduit means having a rigid end portion extending upwardly away from said case bottom wall and terminating at a point substantially elevated with respect to said burner means; fuel cylinder means containing a supply of liquid fuel under pressure and gaseous fuel, said fuel cylinder means having a valved outlet end; flow control means secured to a terminal of said rigid end portion of said conduit means and connected to said outlet end of said fuel cylinder, said rigid end portion of said conduit means being operative, when connected to said fuel cylinder outlet end, to elevate the latter with respect to the opposite end of said fuel cylinder and with respect to said burner means to cause gaseous fuel to migrate to said fuel cylinder outlet end to be withdrawn therefrom and passed into and through said conduit means to said burner means.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the axis of said rigid end portion of said conduit means is disposed at an acute angle with respect to vertical planes.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the axis of said flow control means, and the axis of said fuel cylinder are disposed at an acute angle with respect to horizontal planes.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein said conduit means includes a horizontally extending part adjacent to said upwardly extending portion, and means mounted on said horizontal part for gripping a windscreen and holding the latter in a generally vertical plane. 

1. A portable device having burner means adapted to burn a gaseous fuel, said burner means being mounted in a case having a bottom wall of relatively large area to provide a base upon which said device can be positioned upon a supporting surface, said burner means being elevated a relatively short distance above said bottom wall; conduit means connected to said burner means for feeding a supply of gaseous fuel to said burner means, said conduit means having a rigid end portion extending upwardly away from said case bottom wall and terminating at a point substantially elevated with respect to said burner means; fuel cylinder means containing a supply of liquid fuel under pressure and gaseous fuel, said fuel cylinder means having a valved outlet end; flow control means secured to a terminal of said rigid end portion of said conduit means and connected to said outlet end of said fuel cylinder, said rigid end portion of said conduit means being operative, when connected to said fuel cylinder outlet end, to elevate the latter with respect to the opposite end of said fuel cylinder and with respect to said burner means to cause gaseous fuel to migrate to said fuel cylinder outlet end to be withdrawn therefrom and passed into and through said conduit means to said burner means.
 2. The device of claim 1, wherein the axis of said rigid end portion of said conduit means is disposed at an acute angle with respect to vertical planes.
 3. The device of claim 1, wherein the axis of said flow control means, and the axis of said fuel cylinder are disposed at an acute angle with respect to horizontal planes.
 4. The device of claim 1, wherein said conduit means includes a horizontally extending part adjacent to said upwardly extending portion, and means mounted on said horizontal part for gripping a windscreen and holding the latter in a generally vertical plane. 